Wednesday, August 01, 2007

The crusaders over at StandFirm were so fond of Sarah Hey's paranoid manifesto, Little Stone Bridges & Why We Fight for Them, that they're creating a cottage industry. First, they offered the text (free on the StandFirm site) for sale for $19.95! (There, it has the modest subtitle: A Battle Plan for Christians in a Faith under Siege. They're a humble lot over at StandFirm.)

Now they have been inspired to create a t-shirt that says "Meet Me at the Little Stone Bridge." Cute, huh? And don't ya just love the little sword there? Does it give you warm fuzzy feelings about those glorious days when the "Christians" wiped out the "infidels"? Can't you just feel the love of Christ oozing from every pore of the BlogViagrans?

All this talk of bridges got me to thinking. Recently, I had occasion to research the definition of "troll" as used on the Internet. According to Wikipedia:

In Internet terminology, a troll is someone who intentionally posts messages about sensitive topics constructed to cause controversy in an online community . . . in order to bait users into responding. They may also plant images and data on networks that others may find disturbing in order to cause confrontation.

Is it just me? Or does that description remind you of the behavior of a certain StandFirm leader who has a compulsive need to whip up a frenzy against a certain priest in New Jersey? (Let the reader understand.)One of my wittier friends suggested that the book's title really should be: Little Stone Bridges & Why We Hide under Them.

Yeah, I thought, just look under that "little stone bridge." This monster is what you'll find slithering under it.

Lisa: Have you read Little Stone Bridges? And if you are offended by the t-shirt Meet Me at the Little Stone Bridge, how about the one Akinola is an Ass-a-hola? There is plenty of vituperation on both sides to go around several times. My name is Charles Nightingale, DioUSC.

Yes, Sparrow, I read Little Stone Bridges when Sarah first posted it on StandFirm. It still strikes me as paranoid and delusional (in the "delusions of grandeur" sense). I think a bunch of those folks roll around in their perceived victimhood the way my cats roll around in catnip.

Nor had I seen or heard of the Akinola t-shirt you mention, but I would decry it. I think he's dead wrong in his views about and treatment of gay men and lesbians. But I would not buy such a t-shirt.

I agree there's more than enough vituperation, especially among those of us who call ourselves Christians.

I certainly have engaged in some satire here -- occasionally of the "biting" variety. However, I don't think I've called any of our opponents "heretics," nor have I said they are "not even Christian," in the year and four days of blogging here. I wish folks like Sarah and her friends at StandFirm could say the same.

By the way, Sparrow, what offends me specifically about the Little Stone Bridges t-shirt (and the essay behind it) is the use of warfare as a prevailing metaphor. I just don't believe that's appropriate for people who follow Jesus Christ.

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About Me

I'm a progressive Episcopalian raised in the South and now (thanks to a job change) living in the conservative Midwest. I worship at Grace Episcopal Church in Jefferson City. I love the Episcopal Church, which rescued me from a life of wandering meaningless and gave me a way to explore my faith and belief in God.
On any given topic, I am prone to yammer-on way too long. Sometimes I ponder way more than I should.
A blog-friend said that I demonstrate a "muscled love for our Church." I hope I can live up to that.
And right now I'm pondering Blogger's challenge to define myself in 1200 characters.